Hail fell across two municipalities in the region of Valencia on May 5. According to producers' association Ava-Asaja, damage in the two areas of Moixent and Fontanars is estimated to have reached 30 per cent of the crops. The main lines affected were apricots and plums and Ava-Asaja has described the damage as serious. Valencia is one of Spain's leading stone-fruit producing areas.

The region's early season fruit, which is being harvested this week was particularly badly affected by the frosts in January, February and March. Only 10 per cent of Valencia's total early season crops of peaches and nectarines have survived. The result is very little fruit on the trees which leaves it more prone to cracking and other quality problems in the even of rainfall or excessive humidity levels.

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